"Bah! I bet you're just scamming people. We've waited here for a long time to see this *contract* thing of yours but you two are just holding hands, staring at each other affectionately and nothing actually happens! I bet you two are actually two fucking pairs of lover!"

"Fuu-!" Aldwynn was at loss for word that he couldn't even dish out a proper curse word. "Which fucking eyes did you see us looking at each other affectionately?"

"These eyes, of course!" the ghost replied as he pointed at his two eyes.

"Your eyes sees wrong! Go and get them fixed!"

"Sure! But you have to help me get out of here first!"

At this point, Aldwynn finally realized what the ghost here is trying to achieve. Or at least, he thought he had it. "You just want to trick me into contracting you. Sorry, but no," he said with a hint of smugness. "Anyway, though I said I can only contract two spirits, I found out that I had overestimated myself. Contracting this guy alone had taken a lot of my energy. So I can't really contract anyone else anymore."

"You... can't?"

Aldwynn was prepared to face the ghost's incredulity and suspicion but to his surprise, the first one to actually voice out his doubt was Eugene. He turned to look at him, and saw that Eugene had sported a complicated expression. 'It seems that he has someone whom he wished to bring?'

"That's right. I can't," Aldwynn replied in a solemn tone. "At least, until I regained enough energy, I can't contract anyone else for this period of time."

"Then you can rest and gain more energy," Eugene said to him. "I want to bring one more person. As long as you can do it, I am willing to be your loyal servant."

"That is tempting but-"

"Hey! That's cheating! You can't do that."

Before Aldwynn could even finish, he was cut off by several angry spirits whom showed disatissfaction on their face.

"That's right. We also want to get out of this place. Why is it that you can dictate who he will choose for his second contract?"

"Yes, yes! Let him choose!"

"Young Master! I may not be a Magnus, but I work as a woodcutter! I am pretty strong too!"

"Bah! What's a woodcutter can do at most? Cut trees? Young Master, if you choose me, I can help you haggle with price! You must know, I used to be a well known businessman before I was killed by my own son!"

"Handsome brother, forget about them and how about taking me in? I'll warm your bed every night if you do."

Series of offers were made to Aldwynn and it caused him a headache. He wanted to say something to these spirits but before he could, Eugene beside him also made an offer.

"The person I want to bring has the potential of being a high level Arcanist. I assure you that he can be of use," he said in a desperate tone.
'So if I contract the person he wanted to bring, not only will I have his loyalty, I will also have an Arcanist at my disposal? That is indeed very tempting. Unfortunately...'

As much as Aldwynn also wants to contract this young Arcanist, his situation does not allow him to. He has to make everything clear to these spirits. He raised his hand to make the noisy spirits who kept on offering themselves quiet down. Once none of them speak, Aldwynn finally opened his mouth.

"Alright, listen to me first. As I have said before, my energy is no longer sufficient to contract a second person. I could rest and regain my energy but that would take few weeks at most to have enough energy to contract an adult. And as you can see... I don't think I can live few weeks in this place," Aldwynn gestured to their surrounding. "For one, this place is disgusting. But most importantly, this place lacks the most essential things: foods."

After saying that, he turned his attention to Eugene with an apologetic look on his face. "I'm sorry. Even though your offer is indeed something that even I know will bring good to me, I can't do it."

"If I can't bring him, then I won't go."

"Hold on, that is not what you promised me!" Aldwynn said, his eyes narrowing dangerously at Eugene.

"I made that promise on the premise that you were able to bring two person with you."

"Then are you saying that I should stay here for weeks with no food and drinks just so you can bring another person with you?"

'To think... I have to resort to forcing him this early. How unfortunate... I thought if he is trutworthy, I would erase those restriction for him one day. But at this rate, I don't think I would be able to,' Aldwynn thought to himself. He was about to prepare to make Eugene obey him when Eugene's next sentence made him pause in his action.

"...Maybe you don't need to stay for weeks?"

"What do you mean?" Aldwynn asked back.

"You said to have enough energy to contract an adult, you'd need to stay for weeks. But what if it was a child?"

"A child...?" Aldwynn asked again, as if wanting to confirm he didn't hear it wrong. To this, Eugene nods his head and this made Aldwynn ponder for a bit. "How old?"

Eugene didn't answer, but raised up eight fingers for Aldwynn to see.

"Eight years old? Sorry. But I can't. Forget i-"

"Eight months."

"... I'm sorry?" this time, Aldwynn really couldn't believe his ears. "Are you saying... there is an eight months old in this hell hole full of corpses?! Who would be so cruel to do that!?"

Aldwynn didn't want to think how much that little child suffered while still alive in this pit without any foods and drinks. Even he, himself, wouldn't be able to survive for long. It pained him to know such innocent child was left here to death.

"Where is this child?"

"Wait here," Eugene said as he turned around and walked away.

Aldwynn's eyes never left Eugene as he watched the young man walked back to the crowd at the direction where he stood before. There, he could see a woman carrying a child in her arms. Eugene took the child from her and muttered a word of gratitude before he returned to Aldwynn's side.

Staring at the child, Aldwynn could feel his heart being wrenched once more. "I can bring this child. But you have to adhere to your promise. No more threatening me with your words," Aldwynn said to him.

"As I have said before. As long as I can bring him, I will be your most loyal servant. I'll give my life to you," Eugene said with a firm voice as he stared at Aldwynn right in the eyes.

There was no hint of lying in his eyes, and one could even see his determination. He didn't know why but when he sees this, Aldwynn felt assured with his choice. "Alright. You better keep your words."

"I say, are you two really not a pair of lovers?" came the voice of that annoying spirit again into Aldwynn's ear which almost made him blow off his top.